Here's the next chapter.

There maybe a delay in chapters being posted. I have fractured my wrist so I am having trouble typing.

Enjoy.

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Chapter 2

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Bilbo hid in the middle of the company as they made their way over the bridge, hoping that he could remain hidden till they were later inside. Bilbo stumbled when they reached the courtyard and Oin grabbed his arm to steady him.

"You alright laddie?"

"Not really."

Oin looked at the back of his neck and saw the deep bite marks that were still bleeding and saw a patch of blood on the side of his coat.

"Thorin, Bilbo needs medical attention now."

"I'm fine." Bilbo argued.

"I know he does. Just a little while longer." Thorin said looking at them both.

"I'll be alright."

"Mithrandir." An elf said as he walked down the stairs to the courtyard.

"Ah, Lindir."

Bilbo shuffled slightly and hid behind Bofur getting strange looks from Gloin and Oin. Lindir had already seen Bilbo just before he moved.

"Why is that creature here?"

"We are seeking refuge Lindir. I must speak with Lord Elrond." Gandalf said.

"My Lord Elrond is not here. You know what will happen, he is to be killed on sight. If you wish for him to live he needs to leave now or we will kill him."

"He is a part of our company." Bofur said. "He isn't going to hurt anyone."

"Creature, you are to leave now, or I will have the guards deal with you."

A horn sounded and everyone turned and saw a group of elves riding back towards them. The dwarves reacted instantly and created a circle with Bilbo in the middle. Bilbo winced as he was jostled around and slipped slightly. He looked down to see there was a small puddle of blood on the ground where he was standing.

"Gandalf." An elf called out happily from on top of a horse.

"Lord Elrond. Where have you been?" Gandalf spoke in Elvish.

"We tracked an orc pack to the Hidden Pass. Strange for orcs to come so close to our borders." Elrond replied in Elvish.

"Ah that may have been us." Gandalf said speaking westron.

Lord Elrond turned and looked at the dwarves gathered in the courtyard before settling on Thorin.

"Welcome Thorin, son of Thrain."

"I don't believe we have met."

"I knew Thror when he ruled under the mountain."

"Indeed? He made no mention of you."

"My Lord Elrond. They have a shifter warg in their company." Lindir spoke up.

The guards on the horses suddenly had their weapons drawn and the dwarves lifted their own ready to fight back. Bilbo huddled in the centre beside Oin who was now trying to hold him up.

"Which one is the shifter?" Elrond asked.

"The Hobbit, my lord."

"Bilbo is injured. He is no threat to anyone." Gandalf said.

"They can't be trusted." Elrond said.

"It's fine. I'll sleep out in the wild. You all rest here and meet me when we are ready to continue." Bilbo said from where he was standing.

"Bilbo, you're badly injured you can't rest out there." Oin said.

"Surely Lord Elrond, you could allow Bilbo to spend a couple of nights. He is in no condition to be out in the wild alone." Gandalf asked.

"If I allow this than..." Lord Elrond started.

"My Lord, you can't." Lindir said quickly interrupted.

"You will do as I say Mister Baggins. You'll be chained in room that we'll convert for you and remain there till the dwarves continue on." The dwarves spoke up in anger at this. "This is all I can do. My kin are not going to be happy to have the shifter here, even worse if I allow him to wander around."

"If you chain me up will I be able to be a hobbit?"

"You know it doesn't work that way. You'll be in your shifted form." Bilbo nodded slowly and sagged further against Oin who quickly steadied him. "Guards take him to a room on the outskirts of the city." The guards walked through the dwarves and took tight hold of Bilbo and started to drag him out as Bilbo let out a groan and the dwarves started to make more noise. "Be gentle with him there is no need for force unless he resists. Though you may have to help him there as he looks very weak."

Bilbo followed the guards and was thankful for their help when their grip loosened. He wouldn't have been able to follow otherwise. Thorin watched as the group disappeared into the city and looked to Lord Elrond.

"I will have rooms set up for your company."

"Next to Bilbo yes?" Bofur asked.

"No, the shifter…"

"His name is Bilbo." Balin said sternly. "Not shifter or anything else. It's Bilbo Baggins."

"Bilbo will be on the outskirts of the city."

"Then we request to be housed there as well." Thorin stated.

"There aren't enough rooms there."

"I'm sure we'll be fine. Our company stays together, and the hobbit is a part of the company." Thorin said.

"Very well."

"I would like to see to Bilbo first. He is badly injured." Oin requested.

"I'll have a healer send extra supplies for you and so you can restock."

"My thanks." Oin said.

Lord Elrond turned and led the dwarves through the city to where Bilbo was being housed. They saw the guards outside a door and saw blood on the ground. Oin pushed passed the company, through the doors and the company piled in after him.

The dwarves gasped seeing an arrow sticking out of Bilbo's back leg. Bilbo was chained to a wall as a warg and had curled up on himself, but head raised slightly seeing the door open. Oin moved closer and they all heard a soft growl. Thorin grabbed Oin by the shoulder to stop him and drew Orcrist and pointed it at Bilbo, making him growl again.

"Are you going to make me use this Master Baggins? You would not win." Thorin challenged.

"Thorin, he is injured." Oin said.

"Yes he is, and you might have to make Bilbo submit to you Thorin before anyone will get near." Gandalf said before leaving to talk with Elrond.

"He does not recognise any of us right now which means he would have attacked you if you got close." Thorin said and stepped closer to Bilbo who growled again. "Bilbo, we don't want to hurt you. Oin wants to help you."

Thorin stepped forward once more and was close enough to Bilbo now and sheathed the sword making Bilbo's ears perk up and watch him closely. Bilbo shook his head slightly and whined as he laid his head down. Thorin stepped closer again and put his hand on Bilbo's head.

"Ok Oin." Thorin said and Oin moved to Bilbo's leg.

The company gathered in close and Ori, Kili and Fili moved behind Bilbo's head and rubbed his head making Bilbo purr softly and lean back into their hands.

"He's like a dog Thorin."

Thorin chuckled slightly before turning to Lord Elrond who entered after speaking with the guards. Gandalf looked angry after hearing what had happened.

"What happened?" Thorin demanded and Bilbo whined softly.

"Turns out some elves found out there was a warg shifter here and tried to kill him. Master Baggins is lucky he has good hearing and if he didn't shift than it would have hit his heart not his leg. The elves will be dealt with. My apologies, Bilbo Baggins for this. It won't happen again. You have already proven that though you are a warg, you are very much a hobbit at heart."

Bilbo nodded slowly while Thorin just glared at Lord Elrond. Gandalf looked as Lord Elrond left and walked closer.

"You could have warned me we were coming here from the start. I would have tracked around instead of coming here."

"I am sorry Bilbo, I didn't realise how much elves distrusted shifters."

"Now you do."

"Bilbo, are you going to be ok?"

"Gandalf what are you doing? Bilbo can't speak like this." Fili said confused.

"What are you talking about? He can. He can speak to you in your mind if you are open to the possibility. He can't read your thoughts before you get upset but he can project his own to you, so he can speak."

The dwarves looked at Bilbo and he shrunk slightly and nodded.

"I can." Bilbo said and everyone heard it.

"That is weird."

"Awesome."

"Interesting."

"Strange." Some of the company said as they got over the shock.

"If you don't want to speak back you can project your thoughts back like I am doing." Bilbo said to them. "Does take practice and that only works if I start the connection first."

"Maybe you should tell a certain dwarf the truth than." Gandalf said back to Bilbo.

"You knew from the start." Bilbo replied, keeping it between the two of them.

"Yes, the instant you both met."

Bilbo growled low at Gandalf making a few of the dwarves on instinct reach for weapons. Lord Elrond entered again and looked around seeing the dwarves on edge and then seeing Bilbo glaring at Gandalf.

"I have sent for supplies for you and having the rooms here set up for you."

"Don't bother. This room is large enough for a few and the rest will camp out the front of the room. We won't risk having any elves try and get in to finish him off." Thorin said as the company nodded.

"Well shifters heal reasonably quickly, about four times as fast as dwarves. His leg will take a little longer, but the rest should be done in a few days. I'll have the supplies delivered here. No elf will enter this room without permission."

"Good."

Lord Elrond turned and left with Gandalf following. Oin had been prodding around the arrow seeing where it had pierced and the amount of damaged. Bilbo was twitching when he hit a sore spot.

"Ok well I've had a look and I'm going to remove this. It will hurt Bilbo."

"I already figured that."

"Ok well I need everyone to help hold him down. This may have hit bone and if so, it could very well take some pulling."

Dwalin and Thorin moved and held down Bilbo's back legs, while Fili, Kili and Ori held down Bilbo's head and neck while the rest moved in and around Bilbo's front legs and middle. Bilbo whimpered and Kili ran his hand over Bilbo's head gently before held him down again.

"Alright on the count of three." Oin said and motioned to everyone that it would be one the count of one making everyone hold him down tightly. "One."

Bilbo howled loudly and tried thrashing around as Oin was able to rip the arrow from his leg and it was in the bone. Oin quickly put the arrow down and put some bandages against the wound and everyone slowly let go when he stopped thrashing around. Everyone watched as Bilbo curled up a bit more whimpering.

"Get some rest Master Baggins." Thorin said. "Someone will stay with you at all times while we are here."

"That's not necessary."

"We won't leave you alone here Master Baggins." Balin said. "Not after them betraying your trust in them."

Bilbo nodded slowly and then yelped when Oin tied off a bandage on his leg. Bilbo gave a slightly glare at Oin for the pressure. Bilbo's gaze shifted to the door when there was a knock and the door opened to show Lindir. Bilbo's hair raised on end in anger and was very close to growling at him. Thorin put his hand on Bilbo's head before facing Lindir.

"What is it?"

"My Lord Elrond has prepared a meal for you all."

"What of Master Baggins?"

"Food will be ready for the shifter when you are ready to retire."

There was an uproar from the dwarves for the name Lindir called him.

"If you cannot address any member of this company properly then it is best you don't speak with us." Thorin said.

"Very well. Shall you join us?"

"Yes. Though one of us will be staying here so maybe having some food delivered here would be best."

"Very well."

"I'll stay with Bilbo." Ori said.

"Are you sure Ori?" Thorin asked.

"Yes. I'll stay and keep Bilbo company. Though I doubt he'll be needing it." Ori said nodding at Bilbo.

Everyone looked back to Bilbo so was curled up on the floor asleep. Thorin nodded and the company put their things down and followed after Lindir, Dori and Nori fussing over Ori for a couple of seconds before following. Ori looked around and saw that the bed in the room was pushed out of the way against a wall and all the other furniture was piled by the door out of Bilbo's reach.

Ori walked over to his pack that was near the door and removed his bed roll and set it up next to Dori and Nori's packs before sitting down near Bilbo's head with his journal and quill. Ori started to write down more of their journey and he was part way through when a knock sounded at the door and Bilbo snapped awake with a growl.

"It's alright." Ori said to calm Bilbo down. "Come in." Ori called out and an elf walked in.

"I have your dinner, master dwarf."

"What about Bilbo's?"

"Nothing has been prepared as of yet."

"Then I suggest you have someone hurry up."

"I will see what I can do."

The elf left the food by the door and left. Ori picked up the plate and looked at the food as he sat back down. Ori turned his nose up at it.

"Not hungry?" Ori jumped hearing the voice in his head. "Sorry."

"It's alright. Will just take some getting used to. But no not that much."

"Try it. Just a mouthful."

"I don't like green food."

Ori put the leafy greens down and slid the tray to Bilbo. Bilbo shook his head sadly.

"I don't really eat vegetables in his form. Meat is really the only thing I'll be able to eat."

"Well they should have something for you shortly."

Bilbo nodded though in his head he knew he wouldn't be eating tonight because anything he would get would not be edible. Bilbo laid his head back down and saw Ori inch closer and lay his hand on his head and slowly stroke the fur back. Bilbo let out a purr and lean his head into his hand. It felt good to have someone who was not afraid to run their hand through his fur.

After about an hour they heard the dwarves before they saw them and the group came tumbling in grumbling about the food. Dwalin, Thorin and Balin were off to the side talking even though Bilbo could hear every word well he ignored them in favour of watching Dori and Nori fuss over Ori seeing him having not eaten. The dwarves grabbed their packs and Oin, Gloin, Bifur, Bofur and Bombur were sleeping outside, went out of the room and set up their bed rolls. Balin, Dwalin, Dori, Ori, Nori, Fili, Kili and Thorin would be sleeping in the room. Thorin's pack was in a far corner near the door which he was going through. Ori walked over to Thorin twisting his hands together.

"Yes Ori?"

~~∞∞Ω∞∞~~ End of Chapter 2 ~~∞∞Ω∞∞~~

Hope you liked it. Please review.